Electric switch.



H. GARRIGAN & A. J. SANGSTER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED SEPT'.22,1908.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

Fig. I.

, UNITED STATES lj ijrnnr onn on.

HENRY J. CARRIGAN AND ARTHUR J. SANGSTER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO AUTO SAFETY SPECIALTY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 22, 1908.

Patented Dec. 14., 1909. Serial No. 454,196.

county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Electric Switches, of which t 1e following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combination lock switch for induction coils and the object of the invention is to produce a switch for closing an electrical circuit which can be operated only by a person conversant with the proper combination of contacts to which the terminals of the electric wires are connected.

The improved combination lock switch is intended principally for use in connection with the ignition apparatus of automobiles or motor driven vehicles and is designed to prevent the unlawful use of unscrupulous persons of motor vehicles which may be ten porarily left in public thoroughfares, as only a person who knows the proper combination of the contacts is able to throw the switch so .such purposes, such as fiber.

as to close the circuit and permit the starting panying drawings, in which,-

Figure l is a front view of the improved combination lock switch attached to the box of an induction coil which forms part of the ignition system of motor driven vehicles. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the improved combination lock switch on line a a, Fig. 3, showing the circuit closed, all the contacts except the two to which the terminals of the wires are connected being omitted so as to more clearly disclose the construction. ,Fig. 3 is an enlarged central horizontal section through the combination lock switch and a portion of the coil box on line 6 =2), Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 0 c, Fig. 3, the circuit closing arms being shown in the position they assume when the electrical circuit is broken. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section through the body of the combination lock switch showing the manner of securin the disk carryin the contacts'in' place. ig;-6 is a deta'che rear view of the improved combination lock switeh.- Fig. 7 is an enlarged detached rear view of one of the contacts. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation of the spindle showing the circuit closing arm attached thereto.

In referring to the drawings for the details of construction, like numeralsdesignate like parts.

The body of the improved combination lock switch consists of a cylindrical housing 1 having its outer end closed by air-integrally formed end 2, and a removable disk 3 located within the cylindrical housing near theinner end thereof. The housing and the removable disk are formed of a non-conducting material of the kind usually employed for The internal diameter of the housing 1 is slightly enlarged near its inner end so as to form a shoulder against which the disk 3 seats, the disk being drawn up in place and rigidly held by bolts 4 which pass through the endQ of the housing and through thedisk and have nuts 5 screwed upon their ends, see Figs. 8, 5 and (3.

The removable disk 8 carries the electrical contacts which are arranged thereon in an annular row and are equi-distant from the 5 center of the disk and from each other.

Each contactconsists of a thin metal plate 6,

bent upon itself in a serpentine manner to form a series of contacting surfaces, a screw or short bolt 7 for securing the contact plate to the disk 3, and a nut 8 screwed upon the outer end of the bolt 7 to fasten it in place and also fasten the wire terminal thereto. These contacts are clearly illustratedin Figs. '2, 3, (3 and 7. The metal plates 6 are bent in such manner that each plate presents two contacts each composed of two opposed curred contact surfaces between which the circuit closing arm is gripped. The outer end of each metal plate 6 is slotted as shown at t) in Fig. 7 where the bolt 7 passes therethrough to provide for the adjustment of the plate and also for the easy removal and replacement thereof. lVashers lOa-nd 11 may be interposed between the head of the bolt 7 and the plate, and between the late and the disk 3, so as 'to insure ap'erfiict electrical union between the plate and the bolt. \Vashers l2 and 13 are placed upon the outer end of the bolt 7 between which thewire terminal is held as shown in Fig. 3.-

A central opening is formed in-the outer end 2 of: the housing! in which a flanged bushing'l t-is placed, thebushing being held die 17 is rotstivel supported in the bushing ls'ond snot-her spindle 18 is rototively supported in the hollow spindl l7. A circuit closing arm 19 is mounted. on the i ncr end of the hollow spindle 1? so as to be copeble independent rotation there on, but is held 21g, net displacement t erel y two collars 2G and 21 which, are idly fastened to the spindle, on each side of the circuit closin his 19hos on ubrupo shoulder and d to the collar 20 by age this shoulder so sing arm to the spin- 7 one direction.

upmisw e as to lock the circuit c dle w en it is rotated dog or pawl is hel 'ainst the arm by u smell spring 2% see A i 2. The other spindle i8 is also i resided with a circuit closing arm 25 which is retained in place on the innor end thereoi between two collars 26 and i iyot T. sen-e 2? so as to be capable of rotation independent of the This circuit closing arm inc s. cc is fastened to the coil box or wherever desired by means of at cylindrical casing 36 within which the deyice is placed. This casing has an inwardly extending flange 37 formed on its outer end which retains the device within the casing and an outwardly extending flange 38 at its other end through which screws 39 pass to secure the whole to the coil box see Fig. l.

A series of numbers corresponding in position and number to the contacts on the disk 3 are arranged in an annular row upon the outer surface oi. the end 2 of the housing so that this end of the housing actually constitutes a dial which indicates the location of each contact within the housing.

in the form of the invention illustrated, a series of twenty contacts are arranged in on annular row on the disk 3,'to any two of which the wire terminals 40 and 41 may be connected in the manner heretofore described. Each contact is designated by i. iow in (3, the com ucts being numered consecutively from one to twenty in the form ilhistrutcd. Between the contacts "bored one and twenty is located one else b ated by the symbol 0, to which the wire terminals are never connected. This symbol or zero mark indicates the resting place at all limes of the operating cranks 31 and 32 except when they are being nu nipulzued to make or break the circuit, and also of the circuit closing arms 19 and 21') when the-electrical circuit is broken.

The operation of the improved combination lock switch is us follows,lu the drawings the wire terminals are shown connected to the contacts numbered live and sixteen so that in order to complete the electrical circuitilic contact plates (5 of these two contacts must be connected. The circuit closing: arms 19 and und'thc manipulating crunkc 31 and 32 are in the position indicated by the zero on the dial, as shown in .liig. 4-. The operator turns the crank 32 toward the right as shown by the arrow in Flux 1, until it is directly over the number live on the dial. This movement of the crank rotates the spindle l8 and by means of the dog or pawl 29 carries the circuit closing arm 93 up to the contact indicated by the number live; The operator then moves the other crank ill in the opposite direction or to the left as indicutcd by the arrow in Fig. 1, until it is directly over the number sixteen on the dial. This movement of the cranki-ll rotates ih-c'hollow spindle l7 and moves the circuit closing arm 1!) by means of the dog 23 up to the contact indicated by the number sixteen. The instant the circuit closing arm" 19 touches the contact numbered sixteen, the electrical circuit is completed. between the wire terminals .l-O and d1, the current passing through the contacts live and sixteen and through the circuit closing;- arms 19 and 25 and the spindles 17 and 18. The operator now reverses the direction of the movement of the cranks 31 and 32 and returns them to their former position at zero. The device now resents exactly the same appearance as beiore the circuit was closed, it being impossible to discern to which contacts the circuit closing arms were moved. When it is desired to break the circuit tlie'crzinks 81 and 32 are each given a full revolution in the proper direction, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, from the position at zero. This movement of the crunks curries the circuit closing arms from their position in engagement with contacts numbered five and sixteen around, to the position at zero.

It will readily be seen that only at person conversant with the proper combination of the contacts to which the wire terminalslure connected can operate the cranks so as to bring the CilClllL- closing arms into engage- I As any combmament with these contacts. tion of any two contacts can be employed at the will of the user, it will be seen that it is practically impossible for any person not knowing the exact combination to throw the switch so as to complete the circuit.

It is obvious that the circuit closing together With the pawls which lock them to the spindle may be arranged so that both rotate in the same direction, if desired, and

that any number of contacts may be used without departing'from the spirit or scope of this invention.

We claim.

1, An electric switch comprising an annular row of fixed contacts any two of which are adapted to be connected with opposite sides of an electric circuit, two ro tatablc contact arms which ted. to

engage with said fixed contacts independ cntly of each other, an outer hollow carrying one of said contact arms, and an inner shaft arranged within the outer shaft 3. An electric switch comprising an an-'* dial which corresponds t nular row of fixed contacts'any two of which are adapted to be connected with opposite sides of an electric circuit, two rotatable contact arms which are adapted to engage with said. fixed contacts independently of each other, an outer hollow shaft-carrying one of said contact arms, an inner shaft arranged within the outer shaft and carrying the other contact arm, shifting arms connected with said shafts, r spectively, and a b said fixed contacts and which is traversed by said shifting arms. 1

An electric switch comprising an annular row of fixed contacts, two rotatable I contact arms adapted to engage said fixed contacts, shifting means for rotating said arms comprising hollow outer shaft adapted to be connected with one 01" said arms and an inner shaft arranged within the outer shaft and adapted to be connected with the other arm, and coupling means for connect ingg' each shaft with its respective arm comprising a pawl mounted on one of the memhers to be coupled and adapted to engage with a shoulder on the companion member to be coupled, the pawls and shoulders of both coupling means being constructed to cause one arm and its shaft to be coupled upon turning-the respective parts in one direction while the other shatt and its arm are coupled upon turning the last mentioned parts in the opposite direction.

H EN R! l. {hiltltlU-lthl. i'titlllllll- .l, SANGC'EIGR. Yiitnesses L. M. Snwcsrnn, Gnonos Nnonnnnn. 

